Lando Norris shouldered the blame for his failure to clinch victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, a race marred by controversy. Starting from pole position, the British driver experienced a poor getaway, dropping to third as his teammate Piastri surged ahead. McLaren's strategic decision to pit Norris early, a countermeasure against Lewis Hamilton's threat, inadvertently disrupted the team's order. Norris found himself ahead of Piastri and was instructed to relinquish his position, which he initially resisted. Despite his visible frustration during the race, Norris ultimately complied, ensuring McLaren's first one-two finish in three years. His post-race demeanour was calm and collected, contrasting sharply with the tense exchanges he had with his race engineer over the team order.
After the race, Mclaren's driver said, 'Just super happy, I’m happy for Oscar too – I know he won in Qatar (Sprint race), but I think he’ll also say that this win is a lot more than a Sprint win. His first proper win, it’s a special moment, so I’m happy for him and for the whole team. An incredible weekend for all of us so, yeah, super happy.'
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'It’s tough, but I know what Oscar’s done for me in the past,' said Norris. 'I think this is a little bit different but, yeah, at the same time I got told to let him pass and I did. It’s always tough when you’re fighting for a win, and a win means so much to me and also to him.
F1: Oscar Piastri on his Hungarian Grand Prix Victory
Oscar Piastri made history at the Hungaroring, becoming the youngest driver born in the 21st century to win a Formula 1 race. Starting from second on the grid, Piastri showcased impressive skill, fending off Norris to take the lead into the first corner and maintaining it throughout the early laps of the race.
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Piastri said, 'A very, very special day. This is the day I dreamed of as a kid, and to be standing on the top step of an F1 podium, with McLaren, is just incredible. While it may have been a little complicated at the end, I think we got ourselves into a good position at the start, and then we were in control from there. I want to thank the entire team for an amazing effort and for giving us such a brilliant car. It’s a hell of a lot of fun racing with McLaren, so I can't thank the team enough for giving me the opportunity to be in F1. To now be winning together 18 months in is an unbelievable feeling.'
Piastri is next set to compete at the challenging Spa-Francorchamps circuit, where he achieved a podium finish last year. The McLaren team is brimming with confidence following their recent one-two victory, their first since 2021. In Hungary, their cars significantly outperformed the competition, finishing nearly 15 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton. This impressive performance propelled McLaren to second place in the championship standings, just behind Red Bull, which had a relatively subdued race compared to their rivals.
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